Sunday, October 13, 2013

A good friend of mine is from Thailand and she introduced me to Thai food a few years ago. One of my favorites is Gai Pad Krapow, so I had to find a recipe - this is the first one I tried and my son and I love it!!

Heat 1 Tbsp sesame oil in a skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger and onbion - cook 5 min. Add the chicken thigh pieces, mirin (or substitute), soy sauce, sugar and 1 Tbsp sesame oil - bring to a boil and simmer until chicken is cooked and the liquid is almost absorbed - about 15 minutes. Stir in the basil leaves. Serve over rice.

ENJOY

* 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic from a jar = 1 crushed clove
* Add red pepper flakes or dried jalapenos for extra spice
* Try to find Thai Holy Basil at your local Asian Store, it gives it more of an authentic flavor.
* I don't like fish or oyster sauce (I tend to use way too much) - this is a great recipe that uses neither!

Fry 5 slices of bacon in a deep 10-inch cast iron skillet until crisp. Set the bacon aside on paper towels: drain off grease. Chop one medium onion and brown in same skillet over medium-high heat, about 5-6 minutes. Add one pound lean ground beef and cook until browned. Drain off excess grease. Stir in beans, stewed tomatoes, barbeque sauce, brown sugar, mustard and red pepper sauce.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15-20 minutes - until it tastes real goooood! Crumble the bacon over the top before serving.

Makes 6-8 servings

ENJOY!!

* If you buy your hamburger in bulk at Sam's/Costco like I do, 1 lb. ground beef = 2 cup cooked ground beef.
* I cook my bacon in a cast iron skillet in the oven at 350 degrees for approx. 20 minutes - until crispy.
* The beans can be eaten with a spoon or with tortilla chips - yummy, either way!!

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

We always have bananas in our house, so we often have a couple of over-ripe bananas which means we get banana bread! We love banana chocolate chip bread so I try to make it once a month. I found this recipe awhile ago and it's become THE favorite!

Sunday, March 17, 2013

I'm half Irish, so I enjoy the most Irish of days by making a delicious Irish stew and drinking an Irish beer - I've recently discovered Smithwick, definitely not as dark as the favored, Guinness, on this day.

I just found that you can look up your Leprechaun name - I thought it was a fun idea and started checking the different sites.

* I recently bought the Perfect Tortilla Pan Set at Bed Bath and Beyond (under $10 with coupon) and served this soup in crispy tortilla bowls - delicious!! I cooked the bowls a little longer than suggested, so it wouldn't fall apart with the soup in it. This is an inexpensive alternative to buying the tortilla bowls already made at the grocery store (about $6 for a 4 pack, here in OH!) and so easy!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

My Mom was a lover of the cranberry and would often make this easy and delicious bread. The cranberries keep this bread super-moist, even right out of the freezer. I always slice the bread before I freeze so I can just grab a slice, toast it (toast twice) - it tastes like it just came out of the oven! Add a schmear of cream cheese ..... divine!

Make the date bread according to the package directions, then add about 1 cup of cranberry sauce (1/2 the can) - mix in. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes - check to see it is done with a toothpick - add extra time, if needed.

* I didn't have chocolate chips, so I used a Lindt chocolate bar that we broke into small pieces. I'm sure you can use any one of your favorite of candy bars for an equally yummy taste!

* At about 3 hours our "mess" started to smell like it was burning (it did a little on one side) - when I checked, the middle was still very soupy. Next time, I'm going to stir every hour & cook on low for only 3-4 hours.

Throw everything in the slow cookler (my beef was still frozen). Turn your slow cooker on low for 8 hours.
When it's done, shred meat (I did this on a plate so I could get rid of the fat easier). Add to juices & peppers OR use juice as a dip. We also used the juice on our mashed potatoes - delicious!!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

I subscribe to a wonderful blog called the Purple Foodie because she comes up with lots of interesting recipes & her pictures made the dishes look so delicious & drool-worthy!! I saw the pictures for the Crispy Roasted Potatoes w/Lemon, Garlic & Sage & knew I had to try them.

Here is the Purple Foodie's recipe - I am a big lover of caramelized (almost burnt) red onions, so I added them to the pan first & cooked them for about 10 minutes before I added the rest on the ingredients.

Boil the potatoes in plenty of salted water. Pass a knife through it to check for doneness after 7-9 minutes. Longer, if you’re using larger potatoes.

Once boiled, cut the potatoes into half lengthwise and transfer to a big box that will hold all the potatoes and still have additional room. Shake the box vigorously until the potatoes look smashed on the edges.

Toss with garlic, olive oil, sage, juice of lemon, salt and pepper.

Transfer to a roasting pan and layer the potatoes in a single layer.

Roast the potatoes in the oven at 200C/390F for 30-40 minutes until crispy, golden and brown.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately, perhaps with a sprinkling of chopped parsley.

Oh so delightful!! They were crispy on the outside & creamy, like mashed potatoes on the inside (just like the Purple Foodie said!). I didn't have fresh sage when I made mine (in my rush to try them, I just forgot to pick that up at the store). Next time I will, I'm sure that adds even more punch to the flavors!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

This recipe is for the besthomemadechili for hotdogs I've ever had! A good friend of ours always made it for us because she knew it would be a big hit - & it's not expensive to make. The chili is also good w/tortilla chips, on potatoes or just about anything!

1 lb. hamburger

1 cup ketchup

2 cups water

1 tsp. chili powder

a dash of Tabasco

1/3 cup Worcestershire

* optional - chopped onions (cook w/hamburger)

a pinch of brown sugar

Cook the hamburger & drain grease (I also rinse the hamburger w/hot water). Add the rest of the ingredients & simmer on low heat - No Cover - until there is no longer any liquid. It can take 2-3 hours.